Until Eternity
by VeryShortMidget
Summary: Sequel to Through It All. Seto and Serenity are together, but are they out of danger yet? Will the past come back to haunt them? Are they going to stay together or does fate have other plans? Read to find out!
1. Happiness

**Until Eternity **

**Chapter 1: Happiness**

* * *

"Seto, are you in here?" Serenity lightly shouted upon entering the mansion while closing the door behind her. It was dark and she didn't hear any sounds. Where was all the staff? 

"Hello, anyone here?" She called again, but still received no reply. She wondered if she had been dreaming when Seto asked her to come over.

She walked through the main entrance, there had to be someone here, the mansion was rarely ever completely empty. She decided to look room for room, starting with the dining room.

When she opened the door, it too was dark. She was about to close the door when one by one lights started lighting up around the dining room, giving it a warm glow. She gasped, as the sight that greeted her was absolutely beautiful.

The dining room table was covered in a deep red tablecloth; there was a huge chandelier in the center, but instead of candles it had small lights that looked like shining crystal. The doors that lead outside to the balcony were left slightly open, so that it made the pure white curtains billow in the wind.

She smiled when she saw Seto standing at the other side of the room, at the end of the table. She ran up to him and jumped into his welcoming arms, in turn wrapping her arms around his neck. He chuckled into her ear, holding her close.

"I take it you like it?" He asked her.

"It's absolutely beautiful, thank you Seto."

He put her down, still holding her, but looking down at her. He caressed her cheek and she smiled at his gentle touch, he always knew what made her feel good. She reached up and lightly kissed him on the lips, he deepened the kiss almost immediately. He pulled away from her after a moment.

"Care to join me for dinner?"

"Of course." She said giggling, which just made him laugh.

Dinner had been beyond her wildest dreams; Seto had always known how to blow her away. She admired him for always trying to perfect everything, which he often achieved. They went up to his bedroom after they were done, taking the dessert with them so that they could eat it in front of the warm fireplace, this had become their tradition, it had happened when they both realized they loved eating chocolate pudding in front of the fire.

The night ended with Seto leading her to his four poster bed, he never forced her to do anything she didn't want to do and she was very comfortable with him now. Everything they did together felt just right and when she was with him it felt like it was just the two of them in the whole world.

Serenity could tell it was early morning by the morning sunshine shining through the balcony doors, she was lying next to Seto in his bed and she had spent the night there. They were lying in the bed facing each other and he had an arm wrapped securely around her waist.

She smiled to herself while she observed his sleeping form. His face was so relaxed and his bare chest was so enticing. Serenity slowly brought up a hand and ran a finger lightly over his lips. She heard him sigh in his sleep, but he didn't wake up.

She got out of bed, taking one of his robes to cover herself; she made her way towards the balcony, deciding to get some fresh air. She quietly opened the balcony doors, making her way over to the railing. She took in a deep breath, admiring the view of Seto's huge back yard, which was more like a valley than an actual backyard.

"Enjoying the view?" She heard a deep voice behind her, before arms wrapped around her waist and Seto started kissing her neck.

Serenity turned in his arms, facing him; she looked up into his eyes.

"Now I am." She said mischievously. He smirked at her reply, taking her lips with his. He pulled away, looking down at her; he had this look in his eyes she couldn't quite understand.

"Seto are you okay?" She looked up at him with concern.

He didn't answer her straight away, he bent his head so that his lips grazed over her ear, and he whispered words in her ear that would change her world forever.

"Move in with me." She could feel his warm breath against her ear. This was the happiest moment of her life; she didn't have to answer because her actions explained it all. She wrapped her arms tightly around him and he pulled her to him. She leant her head back, looking into his eyes, she could see the happiness in his eyes and that made her feel even more special to be with him. Their noses were slightly touching and after a couple of seconds he crushed his lips against hers.

She had to pull back though before he went any further, much to her dismay. She stayed in his arms while explaining.

"I have to meet my brother and the rest of the gang for lunch and I don't want to be late." She explained, wrapping her arms tighter around his neck.

"Fine, I have to head off to work anyway."

"I have to break the news to my brother..."

"Are you sure you want to do it alone, I don't think he will take the news very well." Seto was right, but this is something she had to do alone, it would be better for both of them.

"Yes I'm sure." Serenity replied, going back inside to get ready.

Seto made his way over to the bathroom.

"Care to join me?" He said, his eyes racking over her body, she blushed, but followed him into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Thirty minutes later she left the Kaiba mansion, she had had difficulty saying goodbye to Kaiba because he wouldn't stop kissing her, but she finally escaped his grasp, but it wasn't as if she was particularly keen to.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she could see all her friends sitting at a table by the window. She smiled to herself when she saw her brother standing up, his arms waving around in the air, obviously telling an exciting story. A few seconds later everyone around him was laughing and after a moment he sat back down, devouring his food, while the rest of the gang continued talking and eating.

She loved all her friends; they all had changed her life in some way. They were all so kind and most of all, they accepted her relationship with Kaiba and she couldn't have asked for more.

She made her way inside; everyone greeted her when she reached the table, making space for her to sit next to Joey. She thanked them and joined in the conversation. They could always make her laugh, with their jokes or goofiness, especially her brother.

After she noticed Joey had finished eating, she leant over towards him asking him quietly if she could talk to him outside for a moment. He agreed, noting the seriousness in her voice.

Once they were outside he immediately asked.

"Seren, are you okay? Kaiba hasn't done anything has he?" Joey was on the verge of franticness.

"Joey I'm fine, really I am, I promise." She could see the relief overtake his features and it made her less nervous.

"There is something I need to tell you." Serenity said, looking up at her big brother, one of the most cherished people in her life.

* * *


	2. Not Over Yet

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 2: Not Over Yet

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**

Serenity smiled to herself as she continued packing her belongings into her suitcase. Seto had asked her to move in with him and she couldn't have been happier. Her brother was even happy for her and that meant a lot. 

It had taken some convincing though. When she had broken the news to her brother he had, well, gone mad and all hell had broken loose. She couldn't blame him though, it had been a little worse when she had told him Kaiba and her were together. But after he had calmed down she had explained everything from her point of view. At the end of the conversation her brother could undeniably see that Seto and her were in love and nothing could change that.

She thought back to when Seto had asked her to move in. Her smile just got wider. She had been standing on his balcony just outside his room. It was early morning and she had just awoken and come outside. She had spent the night in his arms; the way she was feeling was… amazing. A few moments he had come up behind her, wrapping his arms around her, he had then started kissing her neck, something he knew she loved. She had leant back into his embrace. He had asked her by whispering it into her ear. Of course she had instantly said yes.

They had been together for a year now. Seto had graduated from school, while she was still completing her last school year. He of course had turned all his attention onto Kaiba Corporation, she didn't mind though because he still spent a lot of time with her, making her feel like the most special person on this earth. She knew she was his little addiction, she didn't mind at all though.

She knew him better than anyone and he knew everything about her – inside and out. She thought back to the nights that they spent together, talking or holding each other. They had had their rough patches, but every relationship did. Some of the problems had been his work or her brother or even the media at times with their false stories, but they worked through it and she knew that they always would.

Her life was better than it had ever been and she was glad. She had also become very close to Mokuba and she adored him and he also adored her. Sometimes in the morning at the Kaiba mansion after she had spent the night there, they would make it their mission to tease and annoy Kaiba; it ended with all of them laughing. It was also nice to know that Kaiba and her brother agreed to a truce. This didn't mean that they would speak to each other though, it would just mean that they wouldn't speak badly about each other.

She packed in a photo frame with a photo of her and Kaiba; it had been taken at a very fancy business function. She wore a beautiful red dress and Kaiba looked very handsome in his suit. He had his arm protectively wrapped around her waist. A limousine would be arriving soon to pick her and her belongings up, then Kaiba and her were going out to celebrate, she couldn't wait to be close to him again…

Kaiba relaxed back into his desk chair. He had a small smirk on his face. Everything in his life was going the way he wanted it to and he couldn't have asked for more. His business was flourishing and he had just asked the love of his life to move in with him. He sighed. He hated the times when he thought back to when he first met Serenity. They had been in a bad situation; he would never forget the face of their main kidnapper – that greasy red haired freak of nature. He knew Serenity sometimes thought of it too. He could tell because a few times when he had been lying next to her watching her sleep, she had nightmares about it. She would whisper "no" and she would become uneasy in her sleep. To this day he still felt useless, he hadn't helped her back then and he couldn't help her now. He couldn't make her pain or the memories go away. When this happened to her, he would hold her tightly to him, it seemed to calm her down. The first time this had happened, he had promised himself that he would never let anything happen to her again.

He had never imagined he would find someone like her, and the most amazing part was that she was all his. He knew that she loved him more than anything in this world, and just knowing that made him the happiest man in the world. He had always followed his gut instinct because more often than not it was right, and he just knew that asking her to move in was the right thing to do.

At that moment his office door opened and his secretary walked in.

"Sorry to bother you Mr. Kaiba…" He cut her off, "I strictly ordered you not to bother me at all." He said coldly. His secretary became frightened, he could tell by the look on her face.

"Just hurry up and spit it out. " He said, irritation evident in his voice.

"I...I...I j…just wanted to tell you t...that you have no more meetings for today." She than made a quick escape. His lips formed a smirk, thinking: stupid secretary.

His mind wandered back to Serenity. He decided to phone her and tell her he would be picking her up soon instead of a limousine picking her up.

Serenity reached for her phone when she felt it vibrate in her back pocket.

"Hello" She answered, brushing a few strands of hair out of her face; she was just about finished packing. All she had to do was take her suitcase through to the front door.

"Hey." Seto's calm, deep voice, and not to mention sexy, voice answered her.

"Hey Seto." Serenity said cheekily.

"I'm coming to pick you up right now, even if you aren't ready." Even if she weren't ready, she still would have gone.

"I'll be waiting for you." Serenity ended the conversation, staring down at the phone for a few moments. She loved him so much… just hearing his voice made her happy all over again.

Serenity took a hold of her suitcase, it wasn't too heavy, which relieved her. She took one last look at her room, sure she would miss it, but her dream was coming true.

She made her way to her bedroom door, but just as she was about to close it though, a hand stopped it. Confused and frightened Serenity tried to turn to see who was behind her but before she knew what had happened she was pushed roughly back into the room and she was pushed so hard that she landed uncomfortably on the ground on her hands and knees.

Her breathing increased, her mind thinking only one thing: this can't be happening again.

She shakily lifted her head, her eyes raising to the doorway.

"Hello my precious." Serenity's stomach churned because of the voice and who was saying it. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks…

Kaiba walked up the path to Serenity's front door. He was just about to knock when he noticed it was ajar. Strange, but she was expecting him anyway. He stepped inside; noticing it was quite dark.

"Serenity?" He called, not being able to see where she was.

His heart raced when he heard muffled cries from her bedroom…

* * *


	3. Horror

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 3: Horror**

* * *

He immediately ran towards the cries, fearing the worst. It could not be happening all over again. He reached her bedroom and flung the door aside. The sight before him made his stomach churn. Serenity was tied to the bed, only in her underwear and she was gagged. He could see the horror etched into her features. Streams of frightened tears ran down her cheeks. She was struggling against the ties, her eyes growing wide. 

"Serenity what the...?"

He could not complete his sentence because he felt a heavy thud to the back of his head and then the darkness consumed him, his only thoughts being Serenity's safety.

The minute he tried to open his eyes, a severe pain shot through his head and down to his neck. He groaned and tried to focus his vision. Then he remembered. He had to help Serenity. He realized someone had tied his hands behind his back and his ankles were also tied. He got up to his knees with much difficulty, the pain in his head intensified with each movement. When Seto's vision cleared and focused, he stared at the scene before him, one thought crossing his mind: he was going to kill the man holding his girlfriend.

"Long time no see, Seto Kaiba." The ugly red head drawled, with a sadistic look plastered onto his face.

"I am going to kill you and enjoy it." Seto replied coldly. The slimy red head was holding Serenity against him, his hands touching places they should not be. He could see Serenity struggling to get away, but it was no use because the man holding her was much bigger and stronger. That look in her eyes made his heart break and he was helpless.

"From the position you are in, I doubt it." His laughter echoed through the house.

"You bastard, you are supposed to be locked up for life." Seto shot back, struggling against the rope that tied him.

"I made some good friends while locked up, it was torture though, because thoughts of her left me sleepless and I could not have her because of you." He slid his tongue along the side of Serenity's neck and Seto could make out her disgusted scream through the gag.

"Take your hands off her, you sick fuck!" Seto was infuriated; he wanted to badly to slit the man's throat.

"Now I am going to torture you the same way I was tortured."

Seto felt dread rise up inside of him.

"And I am going to make love to this beautiful creature in front of you." His malicious laughter tore through Kaiba and Serenity's struggling intensified, becoming more frantic. Seto knew she'd be calling to him if she was not gagged.

"I am going to make you watch while she screams for you to help her." With that said he ripped Serenity's gag off her face.

* * *


	4. Let it Be Over

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 4: Let It Be Over

* * *

**

_"I am going to make you watch while she screams for you to help her." With that said he ripped Serenity's gag off her face.

* * *

_

Serenity immediately spat in her captors face once her gag was pulled off, which earned her a hard slap across the cheek, it was so forceful, it made her neck whip to the side. He was immediately on top of her, the pain from her cheek and the difficulty to breathe made her dizzy and she turned her head to the side, squeezing her eyes shut and hoping it would be over soon... he was too strong for her, she could barely move and breathe. She could not even scream because his hand was around her neck, squeezing hard.

She opened her eyes, in her mind it had gone silent and she had given up, she could not help herself and Seto could not help her either. When she had opened her eyes, they came in contact with Seto's, she could see the pain in his eyes and that's what hurt the most, just knowing he would have to see this and what it would do to them... and to her.

"I will give you anything, just do not hurt her!" Seto's broken voice echoed through the room.

"She's all I want, she's my payment." Her captor grunted, sliding his hand down her side.

"She is not yours to take, get your hands off her." Seto replied.

"She is mine and I will show you!" The red head villain shouted back, his fury very evident.

Serenity could feel his grip tighten, she struggled against him for all she was worth, but didn't get very far. He was now trying to pry her legs apart but she was fighting, she wouldn't go down without a fight., she didn't want Seto to see this, she knew it was breaking him, just like it was breaking her. The red head screamed at her, telling her to obey him, but she would not. She was slapped again, harder this time and she could feel blood trickling down the side of her chin. In that moment her arm was free and he was too busy trying to get her legs apart to notice, she reached behind her knowing the lamp was there and hoping it was in her reach.

Seto saw all of this happening and felt helpless, he could not do anything for her no matter how much he wanted to. She nearly had the lamp, if only she could reach a bit further, it was made of ceramic, so if she could just hit him, she would be free and she could run. Maybe he could distract the sick freak on top of her... but that might be too risky.

Serenity could feel the cold of the ceramic lamp touch her fingertips and she felt hope in heart again, maybe she could get out of this. She tried to wrap her fingers around it, but a hard nudge pulled her slightly away from it. It was now or never, she reached up with all her might, grabbed the lamp and held it securely in her hand. She was so scared but at the same time she felt the adrenaline flow through her, she would not let this happen to her, she would not let him take advantage of her yet again, she would not submit to him.

Serenity brought the lamp down over his head with all the strength she could muster.


	5. Is This The End?

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 5: Is This The End?**

* * *

_Serenity brought the lamp down over his head with all the strength she could muster._

The lamp broke in her hands as it smashed into his head. Everything seemed to be going in slow motion. She watched with wide eyes as the pieces crumbled over his head, followed by thick oozing blood. She watched as his eyes registered shock, his face contorting with it… and then nothing. His eyes just went blank. In slow motion she watched as his body just fell over next to her. The thump of his body, followed by silence.

Serenity had probably been lying there for a couple of minutes before she heard Seto calling her name. His voice, warm and loving. She slowly reached through her daze, towards Seto's voice. That's when she snapped, every fibre in her body feeling it. She wanted to get away from this pervert beside her and she wanted to be safe in Seto's arms. Safe from this nightmare.

She tugged and tugged at the ties, but had no luck. Her wrists were so sore. What if he woke up and she wasn't free? At this thought, her adrenaline reached the maximum and with one massive tug, the ties came loose and she was free, but most importantly, within Seto's reach in mere seconds. She first untied him and then they were in each other's arms. Hugging each other tightly. His warm embrace settling her fears. Seto grabbed the nearest coat and wrapped it around Serenity. He then held her eyes with his for a long moment before saying.

"I want you to go out to the car and stay there until I come out."

She nodded, she was not going to question him. When Serenity had left the room, Seto turned to their captor. He was still slumped over, unconscious. The blood from the wound on his head creating tiny streams across his forehead. A million thoughts buzzed through Seto's head, all the things he could do to this disgusting human, but finally he settled on only one thought. He would hurt him like he hurt Serenity.

Seto slowly walked over to him, he grabbed some rope and made sure he secured it tightly around the arms and legs.

He then, went to the phone in the hallway and called his people. He would make absolutely sure that this vermin spent the rest of his life in the worst prison possible. He would be hurt just like he had planned for Serenity.

Seto turned and walked out of the house just as the police pulled up outside. He knew Serenity and him would never return to this place.


	6. Ghosts

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 6: Ghosts**

It had been two months since the incident. That meant two whole months of basic torture. He had to finally admit to himself that Serenity was not the same… and that she may never be the same again. Although it was all over so fast and that man would be behind bars forever, Serenity was still suffering emotionally. After a month he had finally pushed her to see a therapist, she had been really angry when he had suggested it, but had gone. Which meant a lot… but apparently it was not helping.

To put it bluntly, Serenity was now a ghost of her former self. She was thin, with dark shadows under her eyes caused by the nightmares she has every night, nightmares that he tries to protect her from. But it was too late now. The damage had already been done. He would hold her while she cried, but when she was done, she would simply turn over and say she was tired and needed sleep. He knew she did not go back to sleep though.

They had drifted apart and that is why he was still at work at this time of night. They lived together but they might as well have been living separate lives. He could not remember the last time he had actually kissed Serenity on the lips. How had they got to this place?

They had been so close… she had been so alive, so full of energy. She would make him happy just by looking at him. Now, when she looked at him, all he saw was sadness in her eyes. He had tried so many times to make her understand that he was there for her and that his feelings for her would never change. What if she stayed like this forever? What if she never touched him again? Their house was cold and empty, would it remain that way until they were old and gray?

Seto picked up his coat and turned his office light off. He dreaded going home, he hated seeing her like that, but he knew she needed him, and he would be there for her. No matter what.

Serenity had been preparing dinner for little over an hour now. Everything was nearly perfect. She had always just let the cook prepare dinner, but she had dismissed him earlier and she had been happy for his gratefulness. Seto was late back from work as usual, she knew why, but did not blame him. She could not help the way she was feeling and she needed time, but every time she looked at Seto, she could see a little sliver of hope fading. She needed him here but she knew she was killing him inside and she needed to make up for it. She just did not know how she could, while she was feeling this way.

Her therapist said the feeling off helpless and revulsion, especially at herself, would fade in time. But how long would it take, how long would it take for her to forget the feeling of _his _hands all over her body? How long would the feeling of betrayal towards Seto stay with her? She knew it was not her fault, but knowing and feeling were two different things.

She knew she was being too quiet. She just did not know how to tell Seto how she was feeling or what was going on inside her head. She did not want to make him feel guiltier for what had already come to pass.

She had set the table on their balcony. The night air was warm and the stars were twinkling happily, like they knew something the rest of the word did not. It felt like a night of change and she hoped it would be. She needed to ask Seto something that she knew he might not like but would probably do for her. Serenity lit the candles and took a seat. She would patiently wait for Set to come home, going over in her head how she would go about asking him.


	7. Close Again

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 7: Close Again**

Seto made his way home, dread started to creep through his body. How would Serenity's mood be today? Who was he kidding...? It would probably be the same as every other day. Why would today be any different? Nothing had changed; the past was still there, haunting them. Would it ever just stay in the past for once?

He loved Serenity. He would do anything for her. But no matter what he did, she never seemed to understand that this is how he felt. Would she ever know how much he cared? She was too caught up in her own demons to fully know that he would do anything for her. It hurt, but maybe one day she would realize.

Seto opened the front door, hesitating for a second. The house was silent and dark. Maybe Serenity was already in bed. He felt extremely guilty when that thought actually relieved him. When did they get like this? He closed the door quietly behind him and made his way to his study. That's when he spotted the faint glow from their balcony. He quietly approached the balcony door and what he witnessed surprised and delighted him at the same time.

Serenity was sitting at a table that was decked out in cutlery, wine, flowers and other necessities. He could see she had gone through a lot of effort. She looked absolutely stunning. She was wearing a strapless flowing yellow dress. She had her hair down and he didn't see that very often. He watched as she got up and went towards the edge of the balcony, resting her hands lightly on the railings, looking up at the stars. Seto quietly went up behind and wrapped his arms around her waist. She didn't pull away, she didn't flinch. Were things starting to look up?

"It's a beautiful night." Seto whispered into her ear. Serenity entwined her fingers with his, his arms still wrapped around her waist.

"It is." Serenity replied, also in a whisper.

After a couple of minutes in each other's silence. Serenity turned in her grasp and wrapped her arms around Seto's neck. He was so tall and handsome. How was she so lucky to have found him! She searched his eyes and she saw a hint of anxiety, but then she smiled at him and it disappeared. Slowly she lifted her lips to his and right before she covered her lips with his she whispered.

"I've missed you."

Seto cupped her head with his hand, his other hand firmly around her waist. Their kissing grew deeper and more passionate, expressing the weeks of missed contact, comfort and closeness. They finally broke apart, Seto smirked and Serenity was grinning. She lightly caressed his cheek before placing both her hands gently on his chest. He saw her expression change from happiness to seriousness. She searched his chest, obviously she needed to tell him something and from the looks of it, it was pretty serious. Why did it feel like she might be saying goodbye?

It was his turn to caress her cheek.

"What is it Serenity?" She bit her lips before looking up at him again, he could see the anguish in her eyes and she also looked nervous and scared.

"You can tell me anything." He encouraged her, putting some of her hair behind her ear.

"I... I need to go away." Serenity dropped the bomb.


	8. Away

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 8: Away**

* * *

"_I... I need to go away." Serenity dropped the bomb._

The words seemed to echo in Seto's head. Over and over. He could not understand why she would say something like that. They were meant to be in this together, so how could she even suggest something as ludicrous as this. How would he be able to help her if she was away. They were meant for each other, how could she just let that go?

Seto pulled away from Serenity. The relief he felt, seeing all she had gone through to set up this dinner, it had been so long since he had seen her look so alive and look so beautiful, immediately turned to anger. He felt betrayed and hurt; she started looking like her old self because she had decided that she wanted to be away from him...?

"Wait, don't pull away." Serenity clutched at his arm and then slowly turned him around. She could see in his eyes that what she had just said had caught him off guard and had hurt him in more ways than one.

"I need you to understand Seto, I-" She was cut off by him.

"Understand what?" He snarled, pulling away from her yet again. "I have been here, I have seen you go through all of this and I have tried to help and now I am just tossed aside?"

"No! It is not like that at all, I have been going through a lot and-" She was cut off yet again.

"Do you have any idea what it has been like for me? Watching you slip away, knowing there is nothing I can say or do that can help you. No matter how hard I try I know I cannot help you. So do you have any idea what I have been going through?" She could see the hurt in his eyes and it was breaking her heart.

"Please, Seto..." Serenity took both of his hands into her own.

"I love you more than anything and that is why I need to do this." She could see he was about to protest so she lifted a finger to his lips.

"Shhh..." A tear slid down her cheek as she continued.

"I know you are hurting and that is why you have said what you have said." Serenity could see she was right by the look in his eyes. She knew him so well, just like he knew her, or the person she used to be before all this happened.

"I know you want to fight for me, but this is something I have to do, I have to fight for me, for who I want to be and I need time to do this. So much has happened and it has made me into this frightened and insecure person and you know as well as I do that this is not the kind of person I am. I do not want to live like this anymore." Seto had been unusually quiet so far.

"What does this mean for us?" He whispered.

* * *

Authors Note: Hey everyone! So it has been a while right? To be honest I have no idea where I was going with this story (which seems to be the problem with a few of my other stories as well...!), but I read through it and I have hopefully got back on track. I'm not going to make any promises, but I will try to update once every one/two weeks! Thanks for all the support, I know it's been about 2 years since I last updated. Thanks for reading! Thanks to Mazime for the review not so long ago, it's inspiring to still be getting reviews even though I haven't updated!


	9. Break

**Until Eternity**

**Chapter 9: Break**

"_What does this mean for us?" He whispered._

This question was the one she had feared the most. She knew it would have come up eventually, she just did not know if she was ready for it. Telling him that she needed to go away had not been hard, what she was about to tell him would be the hardest part of the night, or actually, the hardest thing she had ever had to do in her whole life.

"I think we need to take a break." She could see Seto's grip tighten on the balcony railing. She had not noticed when his hands had left hers, her heart had been too sore, her chest too tight. She knew this was the last thing Seto expected to happen tonight.

Seto could not believe what he was hearing. He could not believe he was losing her. He should have done something sooner. He should have tried to help her more. He should not have let her fall so far and he should not have let her drift so far away from him. When he looked at Serenity now, he could see a glimmer of hope, a promise of something more and this was something he had not seen in so long. When he looked at her he could see that she was not going to change her mind and that this was the only way she could find a way to heal. When he looked at her he could see that he was not what she needed right now. The only question running through his head now was: Would she ever need him again?

If she had to get away from him to get better, to heal and become the person she wanted to be, then that would mean that he would only make things worse. What would that mean a month from now, if they saw each other again, it would just bring them back to square one. Seeing him would be the same as reliving all those horrible memories. They had countless good memories, moments that he would never forget. Would those be enough though?

He thought back to the time before the second attack. It felt like so long ago. They were happy. They were in love. The way she had smiled and laughed, knowing he was the reason for her happiness. What were the chances of them getting that back and Serenity being able to heal? He knew he could only do one thing.

Seto pulled Serenity to him, crushing his lips against hers, wrapping his arms around her. He wanted to remember this moment, the smell of her hair, the softness of her skin, the way she moulded perfectly to his body and the way her lips felt against his. He wanted to remember this moment because this would be the last time he would hold her like this.

Seto pulled away from Serenity. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled, she looked so very beautiful in that moment. It made it even harder to do what he was about to do.

"I don't think we need a break, I think we are over for good. You should leave." Seto walked away, every inch of his body wanted to turn around and take her in his arms and tell her he would take her anywhere she needed to go and that they had to be together. That they could work through this and that they would survive. He knew in his heart that it could not be this way though. He knew that she would not be able to heal if they were together. It just would not work because he would always be a reminder of what had happened to her and how badly it had damaged her. He would always be a reminder to her of how he could not save her...


End file.
